How to find housing near UMF Cluj

University residence, shared flat or studio: the 2026-2027 rates for UMF Cluj residences, private market rents and the neighbourhoods to look at.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

25 July 2025

Updated on

6 October 2026

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Studying at the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMF Cluj) means sorting out housing first. You have three options: a place in one of the university's residences (cămin), a room in a shared flat, or a studio all to yourself. The residence is by far the cheapest option, with a 2026-2027 rate scale of between 210 and 720 lei per month per person depending on the residence, the room and your status. On the private market, a studio rents for an average of €400 per month in Cluj-Napoca, according to the Storia and Imobiliare.ro portals.

The Cluj rental market is tight, and demand climbs in the weeks leading up to the start of the academic year. If you are aiming for an apartment, start early, keep a fallback in case you are turned down for a residence, and choose your neighbourhood based on the commute to your faculty and your placement sites rather than on the listing photo alone.

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UMF Cluj residences: 2026-2027 rates

The university publishes the rate scale for its residences (regie de cămin) every year. The 2026-2027 one, posted online in June 2026, covers the residences Observator 1 and 6, Hașdeu 7, 7A, 9 and B11 to B13, Victor Babeș 13 and City Central. Rates vary depending on the residence, the number of beds per room and the student's category:

Students enrolled on a state-funded place or in a fee-paying programme (category "buget+taxă"): from 210 to 550 lei per month per person.
International students (category "străini"): from 370 to 720 lei per month per person.
Exchange students (category "mobilități"): from 510 to 1,000 lei per month per person.
Single room: from 510 to 940 lei per month depending on the residence.
City Central, managed separately: 1,650 lei per month for a single room, 1,100 lei per person in a double room.

The scale also provides free housing for several categories of students, including Romanian state scholarship holders, orphans of one or both parents, students from single-parent families or whose parent works in education. This free housing does not apply to the City Central residence. Check with your faculty office which category applies to you: it depends on your nationality, how you are funded and your programme, and the price gap between categories is significant.

Rooms are most often shared by two, three or four, and places are not guaranteed. Submit your application as soon as the procedure opens and prepare a private search in parallel.

Shared flat or studio: what the private market costs

Shared flats

This is the most common solution for students without a place in a residence. According to Storia, a two-room apartment rented for an average of €599 per month in Cluj-Napoca in July 2026, and a three-room one for €749. Imobiliare.ro reports similar levels in September 2026: €580 for a two-room and €750 for a three-room. With two people in a two-room, each person's share therefore comes to around €300, and with three in a three-room, around €250, excluding utilities.

The studio (garsonieră)

The studio offers the quiet that comes in handy during exam periods, but it weighs heavily on a student budget: €400 per month on average, according to both Storia and Imobiliare.ro. Expect from about €350 on the outskirts to €550 for a well-located studio.

Utilities

Water, heating and common areas are often billed separately, at €50 to €150 per month depending on the season and the size of the home. Ask during the visit what the advertised rent includes, and the amount of last winter's bills.

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Which neighbourhoods to aim for around UMF

The right neighbourhood depends on your faculty (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and health sciences) and on the hospitals where your placements take place. Before you sign, do the commute at the time of your classes.

Centru: everything is within walking distance, but it is the most expensive area. According to Imobiliare.ro, an apartment in the heart of the city rents for an average of €750 per month, which is still workable in a shared flat for three.
Zorilor: residential, quiet and green, near the Botanical Garden. A popular choice with students who want more peace without moving away from the centre.
Gheorgheni and Mărăști: well served by public transport, with more moderate rents than in the centre. Two solid options for a shared flat.
Mănăștur: a large working-class district in the west, with plenty of rentals. Together with Dâmbul Rotund, it is the cheapest area of Cluj according to Imobiliare.ro, at around €500 per month for an apartment in September 2026.

Application, lease and precautions

Landlords generally ask for ID, a certificate of enrolment at UMF and proof of income (scholarship, bank statement or a commitment from your parents). Prepare these documents in digital form before you start.

Insist on a written lease (contract de închiriere) that states the rent, utilities, duration, security deposit and exit conditions. It is written in Romanian: have it translated if needed.
Plan for the move-in costs: the security deposit is generally one to two months' rent, on top of the first month.
Pay nothing before the visit, made by you or by someone you trust, and check that the person you are dealing with is actually the owner.
Do a move-in inspection with photos, so you can get your deposit back when you leave.
In a shared flat, put the split of rent and bills in writing, and check who signs the lease.
Plan ahead: start searching four to eight weeks before you arrive, more if you are aiming for the September start.

Searching from abroad

Preparing your first year of medicine from France leaves little time to visit and read a lease in Romanian. A Remoters home finder based in Cluj-Napoca can search for you according to your faculty and your budget, visit homes, put your application together and review the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.